AMPAGE Volume CXXV Issue 5
FREE
October 30, 2013
The Student-Run Newspaper of Fresno City College
FRESNO ATTEMPTS TO ‘CLEAR’ OUT THE HOMELESS Closure of downtown camp leaves many with nowhere to go
BY BRANDALYN HASTINGS
Reporter bhastings@therampageonline.com
Nancy Holmes rummages through her belongings on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2013. Holmes, along with other homeless people, was evicted from her encampment as part of a City of Fresno operation started in July 2013. Photo/Abel Cortez.
When Nancy Holmes went to bed on Oct. 22, she expected to wake up in her bed among her belongings and in the place she has called home for eight months. On Oct. 23, Holmes was woken up by the drowning sounds of a bulldozer, razing the tents around her. By the end of that morning, Holmes and more than 30 others had lost their homes, an encampment located near Palm and H Street. “I feel at a total loss,” said Holmes. “I don’t understand it. I mean we were a good camp. We didn’t have a lot of police action.” The Wednesday morning clean-up was a part of an action plan that the city announced in July. The City of Fresno press release entitled, “City of Fresno To Clear Encampments as Part of Collaborative Effort,” states that, “City of Fresno officials today announced plans to clear a number of illegal structures as part of a col-
l SEE HOMELESS ON PAGE 5
urged to be proactive in Science classes to return in spring Students breast cancer prevention BY KEVYNN GOMEZ
Managing Editor kgomez@therampageonline.com
Continuing renovations of the Math and Science Building classrooms damaged by flooding should be finished in the next few months, according to Darren Cousineau, the Environmental Health and Safety Director for the State Center Community College District. Water damage from a plumbing leak in Fresno City College’s Math and Science Building originated on the top floor and caused damage to all other floors. The leak was found Aug. 11, the weekend before the fall semester started, and caused flooding of the bottom floor. The leak has
since been fixed. Three months later, the courtyard floor remains the only level still in need of significant renovations, with around four or five rooms under renovation. Bare concrete flooring, stripped of linoleum that was ruined by water moisture, still needs to be stained and sealed with paint. The original material used, vinyl composite tile or VCT, was removed and will not be replaced due to its vulnerability to weaken when exposed to moisture. Classroom walls with sheetrock originally exposed by water damage need new coats of paint and new furl SEE FLOODING ON PAGE 7
Calhoun trial finishes PAGES 6-7
BY AIDYL MOLINA
Reporter amolina@therampageonline.com
Students and staff at Fresno City College marked National Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 16, acknowledging the benefits of the campaign to educate women on the topic. Amid pink ribbons, the symbol associated with breast cancer awareness since 1991, many who gathered in front of the library shared the ways in which breast cancer has touched their lives. The forum featured testimonies from some who had lost loved ones to
cancer as well as tips from counselors on regular screenings. Still, many in the audience came in their pink garb to show support. Bianca Stone, a small business management major at FCC, said that her great aunt died of breast cancer 12 years ago. “She was a really heavy smokerat least a whole pack a day,” Stone said. “By the time it was caught, it was too late for treatment.” Her great aunt was said to have died within a year of detection. To Stone, “it’s alienating” that this case was swept under the rug. l SEE CANCER ON PAGE 4
Shooting highlights safety flaws PAGES 2-4
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NEWS
Rampage Staff Editor-in-Chief Troy Pope Managing Editor Kevynn Gomez Production Managers Troy Pope Victor Aparicio News Editor Pabel Lopez Interim Opinion Editor Victor Aparicio
Arts & Entertainment Editor Patrick Forrest Sports Editor Jere Kirkland Photo Editor Michael Monroy Art Director Lauren Baker Copy Chief Jordan Russell Social Media Director Colby Tibbet Reporters Keaundrey Clark Loren Daniels Yolanda Garzon Brandalyn Hastings Daisy Martinez Aidyl Molina August Promnitz Brian Robinson Sidney Thompson Photojournalists David Bennett Abel Cortez Thalia Gonzales Ramiro Gudino Ricky Sall Darlene Wendels Business Manager Kevynn Gomez Faculty Adviser Dr. Dympna Ugwu-Oju Tip Line: 559.442.8262 Twitter.com/FCCRampage Facebook.com/FCCRampage Instagram.com/FCCRampage YouTube.com/RampageNewsroom Send Questions or Letters to the Editor to:
editorial@therampageonline.com
Fresno City College C/O The Rampage 1101 E. University Ave Fresno, CA 93741
Journalism Association of Community Colleges
Fresno City College
10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
Safety Q-and-A with Tony Cantu According to Chief Hartman, the shots were fired, around 11:05 What are your thoughts or 11:10 that morning. on the issue of safety on How long after that was campus? it until you were made I think there are aware of the situation? BY PATRICK FORREST
Arts & Entertainment Editor pforrest@therampageonline.com
things that we need to do, we need to close the loop on some things. I think that we have found out where some of the gaps are. And this all parallels with what the chief said in the forum. Some of the communication that should have gone out didn’t in a timely matter. So we are looking at those kind of things as things that we can improve upon.
Is there anything that you would change about the way that the event of the shooting was handled?
The only thing would be the timeliness of information getting out to everyone.
Are you pleased with how the forum turned out? I do think that the forum went well. Individual students as well as staff were able to come out and make their views on that subject known.
Whose decision is it to call a lockdown in an emergency situation?
That is a decision that is based strictly on what the chief of police determines at the time, or anyone in campus police for that matter. Which again was one of the things that was brought up at the forum. So that decision was made because since the perpetrators had already left campus that there was no need to shut down the campus and I know that there is some disagreement in that ‘should the campus had been locked down or not?’
Do you agree with the decision to leave the campus open?
Yes. Based on the information that we had at the time, it was the correct decision.
Has any of the new information changed your mind on the decision? No, but with the knowledge that the two men had left campus and began to go southwards, away from campus, it remains the correct decision.
It was anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes after that, because it was not very long. Whose
decision was it to call for the forum? Mine.
Why?
To answer questions that individuals may have. There were a lot of questions as to what happened, why it happened and how decisions were made. So I felt that it was best to open up so that individuals could ask questions.
Are there any plans to address any frustrations that students, staff or community members may have?
Oh yes. I mean we are going to look at our communication process. I think the chief even made reference to some of the things that we are going to be doing. One of them being we will be working closer with our public information office, so that that office becomes a point of information, getting the information out and more fully taking advantage of the technology that we have on campus to get a message out to classrooms and students with the other technology that we have available.
According to Chief Hartman, there are o n l y a b o u t 3 ,0 0 0 people signed up for the ‘1st2Know’ system. He doesn’t feel that that is enough people to get a full message out that way. Is there anything that FCC or the district are doing to increase the numbers in the system?
Well we did hand out the little book markers at the forum. But beyond just that we have looked at the process that we use to get information out. There are individuals that signed up, but may not have gotten a message, some got e-mails instead of a text. So there were a lot of glitches in the information process.
A f te r s e e i n g t h e glitches in the system what changes are being
Fresno City College President Tony Cantu briefly answers questions regarding the shooting on campus Monday, Oct. 14, 2013. Cantu explains the certain precautions taken on Thursday Oct. 24, 2013. Photo/Thalia Gonzales
implemented?
Part of it is modifying the system so that we can get the information out. The other is not having the different layers of who you have to go through in order to get information. For example, if something happens the public information office is the point of contact, so the public information office and I would decide this is the situation that is happening let’s get this message out and get the information out on campus. We don’t have to wait on somebody from the district to send something out.
Once the information goes out, at any given time there are maybe thousands of people who are on campus but outside not in classes. If an emergency situation is happening what would they do?
Those individuals would receive a message from the intercom system that we have outdoors. So the information would be broadcast from the intercom system that would direct those individuals as to what to do, where to go or anything. Whether it be clear this area, or exit campus via this exit do not go towards or near this building or area. That is how we envision it. And also that same information would be brought into the classrooms via the telephones. So there would be a message instructing you that this happened and exactly what you are supposed to because of it. That can be stay put and lock the door and wait for further instructions or begin to exit the campus depending of course on what the situation is.
Who is responsible for the gaps in that system?
It’s a joint effort. It’s the college, it’s the campus police are responsible and have to make sure that all the steps are included and that everything works and functions the way that it is supposed to.
What exactly is the way that the system supposed to work’?
The text message, the first to know, should have worked one way and it didn’t. Everybody should have gotten the message, there should have been no problems, everybody that signed up should have gotten the message. We have to make sure that those kind of glitches in the system are taken care of.
There were glitches and the way that this system was supposed to work it didn’t; How confident are you that the next system won’t have the glitches that this one did? I expect that we would have addressed all the glitches and should another situation arise that we would have already addressed them all.
Is there a timeframe on how soon a new system can be up and running?
It’s not a new system. It’s not a matter of getting a new system. It’s a matter of making sure that the system that we currently have does what it’s supposed to do. That’s what that is. So we didn’t take advantage of the telephones to get the message out to the classrooms, that is something that will happen so that individuals are informed.
THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 10.30.2013
NEWS
Safety forum advises ‘Run. Hide. Fight.’
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BY PATRICK FORREST
Arts & Entertainment Editor pforrest@therampageonline.com
Do you know what to do in the event of an active shooter on campus? Run, hide and fight are the words to remember, according to State Center Community College District Chief of Police Bruce Hartman, who led an active shooter training session on Monday, Oct 28. Around 100 students and staff attended the training as Chief Hartman and others went through exactly what you should do in the event of an active shooter on campus. He began the training by giving the exact definition for what qualifies as an active shooter. This is, according to the National Tactical Officers Association, “one or more subjects who participate in a random or systematic shooting spree, demonstrating their intent to continuously harm others. An active shooter’s overriding objective appears to be that of mass murder, rather than criminal conduct such as robbery, kidnapping, etc. The definition of an active shooter can include any assault with a deadly weapon causing a mass homicide.” He then explained the full spectrum of the ‘Run. Hide. Fight’ strategy by playing a video from Ready Houston, a group that is designed to provide emergency preparedness information. According to the video, the first plan of action is to run. Evacuate the dangerous area, leave all of your belongings behind and once you are safe call 911.
Bruce Hartman and Darren Cousineau demonstrate how to disarm someone in case of an emergency at the safety meeting on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013 in the Fresno City College Old Administration Building Auditorium. Photo/David Bennett police department. “I would like to, once again, reassure all students and staff that your safety is our number one concern while you are on campus,” said Fresno City College President Tony Cantu. Many around campus have called into question the lack of communication after the incident and also the decision to not lock down the campus in the immediate aftermath.
Police investigate the Fresno City College campus after gun shots were fired in FCC parking lot E on Monday, Oct. 14, 2013. The suspects were arrested later that day in connection with a robbery. Photo/ Michael Monroy The next priority on this list is to hide. Use “We ran into an issue with the Informacast, large objects that will remove you from the shooter’s which you may know better as the phone system view but not restrict your options for movement, and the loudspeaker system,” said Hartman. lock or barricade doors and remain silent. The issue, according to Hartman, is that due And as a last resort fighting is an option. If to the failings within the emergency alert system you are in a situation where you must fight you the first emails were sent to FCC students and staff will have to improvise weapons in an attempt to 53 minutes after the shooting. Text messages went incapacitate the shooter, you must act with physi- out even later, about 90 minutes after the shooting. cal aggression and fully commit to your actions. Hartman gave information on the shooting, Near the end of the event Hartman, who was announcing to the crowd that both of the individuals joined by State Center Community College District that fired shots in the parking lot are in custody and Environmental Health and Safety Director Darren the weapons used are in the possession of the police. Cousineau, brought out a collection of firearms “If any of these individuals had been known that included both a revolver and a semi-automatic to have gone towards the campus, then we would 9mm, which are both of the types of weapons used have placed an immediate active shooter lockdown,” in the parking lot E shooting on Monday, Oct. 14. said Hartman. “But we did not want to cause a panic They both demonstrated multiple ways to dis- where there was not one at that time.” arm a wide variety of weapons from short range in Lawrence Edward Darrough, 18, and Darnell the event a shooter is to close and has the weapon Thomas, 19, are the two men identified as suspects pointed at you. in the shooting. Hartman said they both will be These trainings will be repeated on Nov. 1 charged with multiple offenses including dischargat 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m. in the Old Administration ing a firearm on a college campus. Neither were Building Auditorium, as well as additional dates that FCC students. will be scheduled throughout the academic year. The two men were arrested later on Oct. 14 This is just the latest attempt to calm the rush after robbing two Central High School students of criticisms faced by the campus leadership and who were awaiting rides after school.
It was 10 hours after the initial call of shots fired on campus that the two men were arrested on Shaw and Brawley Avenues at nearly 9 p.m. Monday night. After explaining the events to the public, there was a question and answer session. Many students and staff members came in with questions but the entire theme of the day could be summed up by the exchange between Hartman and student Vernon Lacy Jr. Lacy Jr. asked about the “protocol for a shooting on campus” and then later interrupted Hartman’s answer because he was not satisfied with the answer as it was being given. Lacy Jr. was not alone, there were many dissatisfied students and staff members in attendance awaiting the answers for Monday’s failures, and the danger that some believe that they were placed in. “I am thankful of course that there wasn’t an actual active shooter on the campus,” said Cantu, “but the situation has allowed us to take a look at where the gaps are in our process and now we can be proactive in addressing them.” Two students who expressed dissatisfaction were Summer Calderas and Krystal Brock, two theater majors who had just left the Theater Building that morning and were on their way toward parking lot E when they heard the gun shots. “We were in the middle of the crosswalk and that’s when we heard the [gunshots] going off,” said Brock. After escaping back into the Theater Building, the two hoped to find an instructor to receive clear instructions on what they should do. “When we first went back into the building, we ran to the costume shop where we thought one of the teachers would be and she wasn’t in there,” said Brock. “So at that point we decided that we should just barricade ourselves because we didn’t know if the shooter was coming on campus or coming into classrooms and we didn’t even know where they were shooting.” The lack of instruction and information has many people who were on the campus flustered. “If I would have gotten a text message within two minutes letting me know that there was an actual shooting and the police were on the scene and that it was being handled I would have felt a lot better,” said Brock. And although there were many f laws in the response system and negative reactions coming from the students and staff who felt left in the dark, many also recognize just how lucky the community is that no one was hurt in this incident. “I think that because of this incident this could make us a stronger school,” said Calderas, “and [give us] a better system so that something like this can never happen again.” l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8
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Cancer
10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
l CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 said.
“I wish my family would be more open,” she
Stone has been going to her health care provider for examinations for the past two years even though she feels she has not been adequately guided. Freshman Hunter Lanier, a child development major, also has a family history of breast cancer. Her grandmother passed away at 76 years old. Lanier said that she would be more cautious about her health and generally advises everyone to “stay away from drugs.” Having a family history or genetic tendency should lead younger generations to become more inquisitive and cautious about potential risks. Information released by the American Cancer Society shows that 2 percent of women in the United States are genetically predisposed to breast cancer. These women are advised to take exams such as an MRI in addition to a mammogram. FCC counselor Graciela Ramirez, 56, gets a mammogram every year. Although her results come back negative each time, her doctors assert a yearly check-up as a safety measure. The National Cancer Institute posted that mammography is a way to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 70. It is recommended that women in this age range have mammograms every 1 to 2 years. “It’s a scary process waiting for the radiologist,” Ramirez said. But regardless of fear of the outcome, she is receptive to what the doctors recommend. Although mammograms are generally administered to women starting at age 40 years old, self-examinations and preventive measures are suggested for younger adults, males included. “Some of the biggest problems with breast cancer are inactivity, obesity and smoking,” FCC Health Services nurse Linda Albright said.
Fresno City College women’s soccer players Katie Odom, (left), and Gigi Hilton, (right), wear pink Tshirts in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month during a warm-up before playing Taft College on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013. Photo/Kevynn Gomez Obesity is also found to be a significant factor in recurrence of cancer cells, according to a published study by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. However, the study also stated that weight is “potentially a controllable risk factor.” Study subjects included premenopausal women. This opens the possibility of breast cancer even to women in their 20s. On this note, Albright emphasized prudency about breast examinations. The Health Services office at FCC has set up an information kiosk in order to promote breast cancer awareness month. This table is available until Nov. 8. With several illustrative pamphlets from the American Cancer Society, everyone can learn about
risk factors, prevention, medical aid and implications of cancer. The nurses at Health Services also offer instructions on how to do self-examinations. Other students demonstrate the spirit of breast cancer awareness month by wearing its color. The FCC men’s and women’s soccer teams wear pink T-shirts and armbands during practice, according to Kalli Vollmer, who is on the team. “It helps raise awareness so that women know how to look out for it,” Vollmer said. Teammate Jessica Newman agrees. “Precaution is for everyone, not just people in their 40s.” l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE
Officials, not system, responsible for alert delay BY COLBY TIBBET
Social Media Director ctibbet@therampageonline.com
John Bingston, director of information systems with the State Center Community College District, insists that Datatel, the emergency alert text messaging system, was working properly on Oct. 14, the day that shots were fired in Parking Lot E of the Fresno City College Campus. “The system technically performed exactly as it should,” Bingston said. The police department did not enter in the system until an hour and half after the shooting occurred. “We actually invoked the system at exactly 12:46 p.m.,” Bingston said. Bingston said alerts could have gone out sooner, but that the police wanted to create a new message rather than the premade ones, which caused another 10-15 minute delay in processing. “They contacted us and wanted to do something different than usual,” Bingston said. “They wanted to create an ad-hoc [customized text] message instead,” he added. Fresno City College faculty and students had expressed concern about how the SCCCD police department and the college administration handled the emergency alert system process during the Oct. 14 shooting incident. In a open forum meeting that took place Oct. 16 in the Old Administration Building Auditorium, students and faculty questioned both the college administration and the district police department for the delay between the event and the time people actually received the alert. Reports indicate that students started receiving messages as much as an hour and a half after the shooting occurred. Most agree that the alert system did not function as it should. Bingston says that the medium used to send
the message can dictate how quickly it is transmitted. He added that the text messaging system is very consistent with the relay between sending the message out and receiving it. His staff recently did a test of the text messaging system with a group smaller in number than the school population, and the time between sending and receiving was roughly one minute. Using email, Bingston said, is what slows the process down. “We don’t recommend using email, [because] it generally is slower than text message,” Bingston said. “Text messaging tends to go a lot faster.” Bingston explained that the district uses Datatel, a district wide computer system that serves students, staff, faculty and the district police department. All student information is included on the system, including registration, addresses and phone numbers. Datatel is also integrated with the emergency alert messaging system, also known as the “1st2Know” program. The “1st2Know” emergency alert system, which started in 2009, was created to inform faculty and students of emergencies or news regarding the campus and surrounding areas. Students are encouraged to opt into the program, which allows a text message to be sent to the number that students provide. There are two other alert systems used on campus, SingleWire and Informacast. Singlewire is an alert system that uses telephones and speakers that are placed on campus. The system sends pre-recorded messages about critical information regarding an event or crisis on campus. Informacast is similar to Datatel and SingleWire, but it is a web-based messaging system. The goal of the SCCCD police is is to have in-
tegration of all three systems, to ensure that the emergency messages can be conveyed through multiple channels. SCCCD Police Lieutenant Richard Gaines said the decision to use a custom message rather than a pre-programmed one is the decision made by police officials. “We felt that we needed to send a text message out but we weren’t necessarily pressed that it needed to go out immediately,” Gaines said. “We didn’t feel there were any safety concerns at that time.” Gaines said that the police department “drafted” a text message that would be sent out to students and faculty that was worded in a way that would not create panic or make the recipients feel that they were in any present danger. The pre-recorded message read, “Active Shooter” which was not the case of the shooting in the campus parking lot, which would have caused confusion and disarray among the students and staff. “I think if something like that happens again, we will have a message pre-drafted that would be sent out a little quicker,” Gaines said. Gaines also said that he understands the concerns and complaints of students and staff, but he said that it was a judgement call the department had to make. “There is a difference between something happening and then not being an immediate threat, versus something happening and they were headed toward the center of campus,” Gaines said. “That would be a completely different scenario.” l TWITTER.COM/ROBOTMILK
THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 10.30.2013
NEWS
Workshops Make Transfer Process Easy
BY LOREN DANIELS
Reporter ldaniels@therampageonline.com
Are you a Fresno City College student interested in transferring to a four-year university but don’t know where to start? Students seeking assistance with transfer applications to California State Universities can get the guidance they need by attending transfer workshops being held this month. The FCC Transfer Center will be assisting students in the transfer process by offering information on topics such as applying for on-campus housing and financial aid as well as supplemental information on available scholarships. Title V project coordinator Leticia Canales organizes weekly workshops that are geared towards providing individual assistance and personalized guidance to students seeking help with college transfer applications. The transfer process can be stressful. “It’s college, it’s scary ...” sophomore criminology major Genesis Castro said. Castro, a member of Title V’s Camino Hacia El Futuro/Pathways to Education (or CAMINO) program at FCC, is applying to transfer to Fresno State next fall. She attended her first transfer workshop on Tuesday, Oct. after being
Homeless laborative, community-wide effort focused on strategies to prevent and end homelessness. The City’s enforcement efforts will better allow existing service providers to care for Fresno’s most vulnerable individuals.” The displaced residents maintain that the city is creating more problems than it can ever solve, exacerbating the homeless problem rather than contributing toward a solution. “The city needs to come up with a better solution. The homeless aren’t going to go away. In fact, it’s going to increase as the economy goes down,” said Terry Welch, a resident at the camp. “They say it’s on the upswing, but we don’t see how. There’s no jobs for people like me.” According to a 2011 headcount, 5,100 men, women and children are homeless in Fresno County. The homeless are diverse in age and race and most of them have been without homes for many years. “What we’re dealing with today is unhuman,” said Dr. Floyd D. Harris, the international president of the National Network in Action civil rights group. “Where [are] they [going to] go? ... we’ve got children out here, we’ve got elderly out here, we’ve got mothers out here, [and] we’ve got animals out here.” This is the fourth encampment torn down in Fresno since the decision to do so in July. Complicating the issue of how to best resolve the homeless problem is the debate on whether the displaced are to be pitied or vilified, helped or scorned, absorbed into society or marginalized and whether they are victims or criminals.
signed up by her counselor. CAMINO allows personnel and other campus resources to address the transfer process with the goal of improving transfer opportunities for low-income and/ or Hispanic students at FCC. “They come to our high school and recruit us ... my [CAMINO] counselor is helping me through it, so it’s pretty easy,” Castro said. At the workshops, students learn which classes are required for their majors and also which courses they need to complete before transferring. “I didn’t even know they [the transfer workshops] existed until I think I saw something on the [Fresno City College] website,” said nursing major William Staley who was attending the workshop for the first time. Students have access to computers during the workshop and visit websites like CSUMentor to assist them with applications; students attending the workshops are also offered the opportunity to request an unofficial copy of their college transcripts. Federico Tirado, nursing major, will be completing his general education courses in the 2014 spring semester and is applying to transfer to CSU Fresno for fall 2014. Tirado attended the workshop after hearing about it through a friend who was also in attendance. “If I had to fill this out by myself, I would be lost,” Tirado said. “I’d probably have to ask someone for help.”
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Fresno City College counselor Leticia Canales helps students William Staley (right) and Federico Tirado (left) fill out California State University college applications on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. Photo/Kevynn Gomez Students who attend the workshops can be directed to the California Community College District ASSIST website if they seek additional information about transferrable courses. The transfer office is planning future workshops geared towards students seeking assistance with UC transfer applications. Students should visit Fresno City College’s online activities calendar for dates and times of all transfer workshops being held each month. Students interested in transferring to CSU Fresno may want to attend
Dog Days New Student Orientation, a day-long series of workshops and presentations that provide valuable information and materials necessary for a successful transition to Fresno State. Students specifically interested in transferring to CSU Fresno should visit the school’s University Outreach Services section online to view information pertinent to transfer and new students.
“That was one of the benefits having an area like this,” said Welch. “We could keep the bad elements out. The trouble makers, the bad people, pretty much got the idea, safety in numbers. We were able to keep them moving on.” “They kept it cool around here,” said Richard Schmidt, a member of a local church who’d often visit the camp. “The crime in this area was low. The police even said ‘we’ve got no problem here.’ Until now, I guess. Well, some new elements came in and stuff like that, and [the homeless new to the camp are] a little bit more on the perpetrator side than the victim side.” Welch went onto explain that over the last 6 to 8 months the camp grew quite a bit and that was probably related to the earlier clean-ups done by the city. The resounding concern throughout the camp was that this community of people who have suffered loss but now help each other, would be broken up. “Here they had a community,” said Nancy Waidtlow a member of the Fresno Homeless Advocates. “They could go and do something somewhere else now and then, you know, [because] they trusted the people that were here to watch their stuff.” Holmes is not satisfied with the solution that the City has for the displaced residents of the encampment, which consists of staying in shelters. “If I’m in line at 4 o’clock I’d get a bed, and they lock you in at 4 o’clock and then at 7 o’clock in the morning with all your belongings you’re kicked back out to roam around all day un-
til you [want to] get back in line at 4 o’clock,” Holmes said. “I can’t do that, and I have my little cat, she’s been with me for two years.” Eleven days before the cleanup, residents received a notice stating that, “On Wednesday October 23, 2013, at 7 a.m. the City of Fresno will conduct a clean-up of the area, including the removal of all individuals, personal property, temporary shelters, junk and/ or garbage from this area.” Once the 11 days had passed, the residents of this camp weren’t ready to leave, and the majority of them had nowhere to go. Jim Betts, an attorney for the city states that, “The only thing that’s being accomplished today is that this area is being cleaned up. So the policy discussions are made at city hall, who has been in communication with the residents. Those are issues we’re not dealing with out here today, our issues out here today is to deal with everybody with respect, to make sure that if anybody has personal property of value that it doesn’t get thrown away, that they have a chance to remove it if they can.” The residents packed up their belongings and made as many plans for the future as they could. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Holmes. “Last summer I collapsed three times out here, with the heat, from my heart ... I just don’t know what to do, or what to say. If it hadn’t been for Cinnamon, and Laurie, and Chewy and everybody helping us, I would have perished right there on that carpet.”
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Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer stated in the City’s press release announcing the demolition, “There is a misperception that people at the encampments are simply folks who are down on their luck ... the reality is that gang members and other criminals have moved there and are taking advantage of the people who are truly homeless.” But to the residents of this camp and their supporters helping them on Wednesday morning, these people were the ones who’ve just suffered one too many misfortunes. Before she became homeless, Holmes worked in security. She earned enough to cover her rent and other bills. She had friends and did things that society deems “normal.” Then, her problems started, and before she knew it, she saw her life spiralling out of control. She lost her job, then her home, and her life until she became part of a different kind of community in the homeless encampment in downtown Fresno. Other displaced individuals tell similar stories of lives that seemed promising, of normalcy and family, friends and dignity. “I don’t have anywhere to go. I’ve got nothing to do,” said Terry Welch, “Everybody is just a paycheck or two away from disaster,I don’t know anybody with a large amount of cash reserve in the bank. I mean I had at one time but it wasn’t enough to protect me. I’ve gone through several misfortunes.” According to the residents of this camp, the increase of perpetrators has only been recent.
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10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
CALHOUN FOUND GUILTY Former professor to accept sentencing in November BY TROY POPE
Editor-in-Chief tpope@therampageonline.com & PABEL LOPEZ News Editor plopez@therampageonline.com
Brian Calhoun, former Fresno City College instructor, will be sentenced on Nov. 22 at the Fresno County Superior Court for his Oct. 18 conviction on misdemeanor battery of a female student on March 22. Calhoun clamped his eyes shut as the jury read his verdict, which, despite the monthlong trial process, took the jury one hour to come back with the guilty verdict. After the verdict was read, Roger Nuttall, Calhoun’s attorney, asked that the jury be polled. Judge Denise Whitehead asked all 12 jurors one-by-one, “Is this your verdict?” Calhoun’s eyes remained closed and every juror replied, “Yes, your honor.” Nuttall later told Fresno Bee reporter Pablo Lopez, “He [Calhoun] honestly believes he did not commit a crime ... Frankly, I thought it was going to be a quick acquittal.” Calhoun’s conviction carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail. The prosecution declined to comment on the the punishment his office will seek for Calhoun. Earlier on Oct. 18, both Nuttall and prosecuting attorney Mike Brummell gave closing arguments. Brummell talked for about an hour; Nuttall spoke for two. Brummell went over the series of events that took place on March 22, and recounted the many witness statements that confirmed the story of Calhoun attacking the victim maliciously. Nuttall tried to paint the victim, FCC student and Rampage staff member Kevynn Gomez, as a “thug” that wanted to humiliate and degrade Calhoun because of his age and her chronic lack of respect for men. “True to the epoch of the thug culture ... I can say anything I want, anything I want to this old man,” Nuttall said speculating on Gomez’s mindset. Nuttall spoke about Calhoun’s childhood and the legacy he inherited from his parents. “We’re proud of you, beloved son, we know the kind of person you are,” Nuttall said. “And we know that if you maintain your life with a context of respect for other human beings and respect for civility; if you work hard, and become the educator you always wanted to be, you will be fruitful.” Nuttall spoke of anarchy and chaos if students could disrespect instructors. He also tried to convince the jury that they should find in favor of Calhoun and against those who shun traditional ways. “It didn’t used to be this way; If I’d said, to Brian Calhoun, what Kevynn Gomez said that day, I’d figure I’d be expelled,” he said. “Your verdict in this
case is going to send a clear message to every instructor at Fresno City College that they really don’t matter anymore ... your verdict to find Mr. Calhoun guilty, means the monkeys will run the zoo.” Most of Nuttall’s closing arguments steered clear of the altercation between Gomez and Calhoun. Instead, he chose to attack a society that has changed to have distinguished or older men “resented or vilified” by today’s youth saying that they’ve become disrespectful toward their elders. After Nuttall was finished, Brummell had the opportunity to rebut Nuttall’s words. “They called her a thug, said she lives a thug life,” Brummell said. “Ms. Gomez is a brave young woman who Brian Calhoun (right) sits next to his lawyer, Roger Nuttall (left) as his guilty verdict is stood up to a bully.” read in the Fresno Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. Calhoun was convicted of While Calhoun was tes- misdemeanor battery of a female student that took place on March 22. tifying, he claimed that two Photo/Michael Monroy men were standing next to Gomez with their fists aggressively pinned up against the wall pretty day in March. raised, taunting him saying “what’s forcefully.” “I was trying to get away,” Gomez your name?” Witnesses also agree that Gomez said, bursting into tears while recountBrummell spoke of witness tes- punched Calhoun in the face several ing the incident to the prosecutor. timony. times as she struggled to free herself Calhoun’s face remained impasBrummell said that Cori Mur- from him; he asked her name repeat- sive throughout the students’ testiphy, one of the prosecutor’s witnesses, edly while she told him to let her go. mony and made movements only didn’t see two aggressive men threaten Throughout the trial, Nuttall, when writing notes or whispering to Calhoun as [Calhoun] said on the stand. Calhoun’s attorney, repeatedly men- his attorney. Murphy said she saw “one young boy” tioned that Gomez never gave Calhoun Calhoun took the stand in his say something to Calhoun. her name as he requested. own defense on Oct. 16. He told the Calhoun was on trial because of In his opening statements, Nut- jury that he was simply trying to get an altercation in the OAB at FCC on tall said that Calhoun was simply look- Gomez’s name to file a report. March 22, the last day of classes before ing for Gomez’s name in order to file “What I wanted her to do was the spring break. According to eyewit- a “disruptive student report.” Nuttall to stop and give me her name ... if she ness accounts, students in a Chicano repeated the same claim in his mo- walked away she couldn’t give me her Latino studies class were taking their tion for a judgement of acquittal and name,” Calhoun said on the stand. midterm exam late in the class period several times during the questioning At one point, Calhoun stood in because a substitute instructor had of witnesses. the middle of the courtroom and demdifficulty locating the tests. The majority of the student wit- onstrated how he handled Gomez in Many of the students in the class nesses used the word “slam” to de- the altercation. He put his arms out had not completed their tests when scribe the way Calhoun grabbed and and showed how he brought Gomez’s Calhoun walked in and demanded the dropped Gomez during the incident. arms to her sides so she would stop class vacate the room because it was The witnesses all agreed that hitting him, and then said he laid her his “time to use the class.” after the alleged “bodyslam,” several on the ground in an attempt to halt Various witnesses described students began to intervene to get the altercation. Calhoun as “angry,” “irritated” and Gomez away from Calhoun. Calhoun also spoke of his long “upset” as he ordered the substitute Fallout from the incident includ- history as an instructor throughout his teacher and his students to leave the ed Calhoun being placed on adminis- testimony and said that he loved his room so his class could start. trative leave and then, a few months students; Calhoun was an instructor As Gomez exited, she walked past later, being fired from his job as an at FCC for 25 years. Calhoun, uttered the words “piss off FCC instructor. When the jury got the case, there a--hole” and continued walking out The trial officially began on Oct. were four possible opportunities to of the room. 1, after being delayed from Sept. 25, find Calhoun guilty of battery: grabCalhoun followed Gomez out of and lasted until Oct. 18. bing her arm; pushing her into the the room and began asking for her Many of the witnesses agreed wall and restraining her; dragging her name in a loud voice. When she re- on multiple points in their testimony across the hallway; and throwing her fused to give him her name, Calhoun including where Calhoun was standing to the ground. grabbed her arm and pinned her up when he first entered the still occupied A unanimous jury reached a veragainst the wall, according to many classroom, where Gomez uttered the dict in less than an hour. An anonyof the witnesses in the trial. insults at Calhoun, the words she di- mous juror told the Fresno Bee followWitnesses also stated that Cal- rected at him and where Calhoun con- ing the trial, “It was pretty clear-cut. houn pinned Gomez up to the wall with fronted Gomez and initially grabbed We only had to find him guilty of one, his right forearm across her chest. her in the hall. but I would have found him guilty of “His arm was across her upGomez herself testified midway all four.” per chest,” said Murphy, a student in through the trial, on Oct. 9, giving a l TWITTER.COM/DARKTROY Calhoun’s education class. “She was tearful account of the events on that l TWITTER.COM/BYPABELLOPEZ
NEWS
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Flooding
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niture ordered for the computer lab needs to be delivered. Brian Speece, Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Operations of SCCCD, said that he plans to order the furniture on Nov. 1. The new furniture will be more modern and ergonomic, he said. Classrooms on the upper floors needed little work aside from a few floorboards needing replacement and walls that needed to be painted in certain classrooms. Yet Cousineau states that all is going well. The renovation, provided by American Technologies, Inc., an emergency environmental reconstruction service, is on track to finish over winter break and reopen for the spring 2014 semester. “There’s no reason in my mind why it wouldn’t [reopen],” Cousineau
stated. He added that some issues could be fixed in “one month or so.” In the meantime, however, such progress has created additional problems students must deal with. Molly Her, an FCC student who attends a math class on the courtyard f loor, stated that the noise from the renovation is a challenge in the echo-filled floor of classrooms. “It’s really loud when we’re in class. It’s a lot of pounding and sometimes they get on the roof and [there’s] more pounding,” Her said. Her claimed that at one point during a math exam, the construction noise lasted around ten minutes. “If they’re using one of those saws and they’re making a lot of noise, or those electrical drills ... it gets really frustrating when I’m trying to concen-
trate,” Her added. Courses with damages are still being taught mostly in classrooms in the Old Administration Building. More than 80 classes were reassigned to new rooms according to a list emailed to many employees in August before the fall semester started. The flood was caused by broken pipes on the top floor that carried deionized water that is used solely in science lab class projects. The deionized water is fairly corrosive which caused the plastic pipes to eventually rupture. It is only an issue for the Math and Science Building classrooms, not any other non-lab classrooms on campus that do not use such water in their sinks. Speece stated that the plastic pipes have since been replaced with
an improved, more effective version. There was also a small leak a few weeks ago on the top floor that was quickly fixed within a day, Speece said. It caused ceiling tiles to need replacement and more water (although less in amount than the first leak) to seep to the courtyard floor. Although the Math and Science Building class moves will continue for the rest of the semester, the courtyard f loor reopening in spring 2014 will give students something new to look forward to. “I hope it’s fixed for the best,” said Her, “just to better the department.”
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COURT STUFF
The People vs. Brian Calhoun Witness List
Gomez, Kevynn Victim 20 Years Old
Calhoun, Brian Defendant 69 Years Old “I hit him because he grabbed my arm, because I was trying to get away.”
Castro, David Student
“She was angry, she was crude. Her face was twisted into a scowl.”
Murphy, Cori Student
“His tone of voice, yelling, just very angry that she would say something like that to him.”
“He just kind of snapped and ran behind her.”
Ramirez, Giana Student
“I was caught offguard because he was teaching me how to become a teacher then everything happened.”
Flores, Juan Student
“After he got hit, he went down to cover himself up then he grabbed Kevynn by the waist and picked her up into the air and then she [Gomez] got slammed.”
Photos/Abel Cortez
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10.30.2013
‘FRIENDS OF THE ARTS’ MAKES SHOW POSSIBLE BY VICTOR APARICIO
Production Manager vaparicio@therampageonline.com
Fresno City College’s music department and Friends of the Arts presented “Concertos for Multi-Pianos” on Oct. 19. in the Old Administration Building Auditorium. The free 40-minute concert featured two concertos for three and four pianos with string accompaniment written by Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The pieces were played by pianists Alan Rea, Sylvia Park O’Neil, Olga Quercia and Aarne Kela, and string players Elaine Ikemoto, Lianna Stuart, Cynthia Stuart, Judy Robinson and Heidi Franklin. The pieces played were “BWV 1065 in A Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach and “K. 242,” also known as “Lodron” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The pieces were featured for being composed for multiple pianos and were a great opportunity for Alan Rea, who chose the pieces. “They’re pieces that I like and never got the chance to play before,”
said Rea. Fresno City College piano instructor Olga Quercia planned, organized and even funded the event. “Olga did all the logistical work for this concert, which is even more than you can imagine,” said Rea. “Getting all the pianos moved, providing funding to have them moved and tuned, providing the funding for the musicians and all the kicky stuff that you have to do and have to do right if things are gonna come off as well as you would like.” It was also the help of Friends of the Arts that the concert was possible and provided for free. Friends of the Arts is a organization at FCC that supports students entering theatre arts through “leadership, advocacy and financial support.” “I believe that in a community college if you can possibly have free concerts, do it. So even if it costs a little extra, it’s worth it and it’s so much easier,” said Quercia. The musicians playing the pieces have been rehearsing on campus for 6 weeks and planned around their lives
From the left: Elaine Ikemoto, Lianna Stuart and Judy Robinson perform live at the Fresno City College Piano Concerto on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in the FCC Old Administration Building. Photo/Michael Monroy to be at the event. “[Sylvia] works as an attorney in San Francisco, but she’s kept up her music and I think that’s really amazing. I tell my students about that,” said Quercia. More concerts will be held in the auditorium soon. Nov. 6 will be the Student Recitals and will be free to
attend. The admission-free Woodwind Choir Concert on Nov. 15. On Nov. 21 is the Rams Jams: Guitar Showcase and the Intermediate/Advanced Voice Recital on Nov. 22. The guitar showcase five dollar donation at the door. All mentioned events are at 7:30 p.m. l TWITTER.COM/VICTORKID
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Science club’s boo-ming halloween spectacular
Fresno City College physics instructor David Balogh smashes FCC chemistry instructor Christian Vallandi’s fake finger at the Halloween Science Spectacular held in the FCC Free Speech Area on Friday, Oct. 25, 2013, to show how easy it is to smash something that was immersed in liquid nitrogen. Photo/Michael Monroy
Fresno City College chemistry instructor Christian Vallandi shows the effects of liquid nitrogen on a rose at the Halloween Science Spectacular held in the FCC Free Speech Area on Friday, Oct. 25, 2013. Photo/Michael Monroy
BY LOREN DANIELS
Reporter ldaniels@therampageonline.com
Fresno City College physics instructor David Balogh shows more fascinating scientific experiments at the Halloween Science Spectacular held in the FCC Free Speech Area on Friday, Oct. 25, 2013. Photo/Michael Monroy
Fresno City College got students in the spirit of Halloween in a way atypical of the usual trick or treating: by blowing things up on campus. The FCC Science and Engineering Club set things off with a boom as they held their annual Halloween Science Spectacular in the free speech area last Friday. Along with the club, faculty members of the math, science and engineering division were joined by the students and staff in attendance. The show featured a Van De Graaf generator - an electrostatic generator that uses a moving belt to accumulate high amounts of electricity on a hollow metal globe - along with other experiments on static electricity. “How many of you have ever gotten a shock by walking across your carpet and touching the floor?” asked physics instructor David Balogh, inviting the audience to participate. “This generator does that, only like ten thousand times better!” In a demonstration on how magnetic fields work, Balogh placed Neodymium magnets (a type of powerful magnet with a strong magnetic field) down an aluminum tube to show the reaction of the changing magnetic field between the magnets within the tube. A more gruesome experiment included the gloved hand of FCC chemistry instructor Christian Vellandi
being immersed in liquid nitrogen; a pretendedly absent-minded Balogh “accidentally” slammed a hammer over Vellandi’s hand, which resulted in the exposure of Vellandi’s fake bloodied thumb. Ryan Payne, a physical therapy major, attended the event. “I was in Vellandi’s class, so some of this stuff I’ve seen him do,” said Payne. “There were a lot more booms this year.” Physics major Michael Bareian said that this year’s Halloween Science Spectacular saw “more people, definitely more people.” “They really reached out to the community, and more people understand how important and cool this is.” Other demonstrations included a variety of roses and racquetballs being dipped into liquid nitrogen, which resulted in a chemical reaction of the objects being “frozen” solid, before being slammed onto a table by Balogh and shattered into pieces. The exhibit of science experiments ended with the playing of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” synced to the combustion of several balloons which contained Hydrogen and Oxygen gases - a reaction that results from combining the gases. The balloons were ignited by a barbecue lighter being improvised as a heat rod, and concluded the act by saving these bigger booms for last.
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A Van De Graaf generator creates high amounts of electricity on a hollow metal globe that made cereal shoot out towards the audience at the Halloween Science Spectacular held in the Fresno City College Free Speech Area on Friday, Oct. 25, 2013. Photo/Michael Monroy
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A&E
10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
Halloween extravaganza
Trick or treating isn’t all there The very best of what you can is to do on Halloween be for Halloween this year BY LAUREN BAKER
Art Director lbaker@therampageonline.com
Halloween has traditionally been a holiday predominantly geared towards children with costumes and trick-or-treating activities. But it’s not just for kids anymore. So what’s a college student to do with their week leading up to Halloween night? Plenty, if you know where to go. On our FCC campus, students can look forward to the FCC “Monster Mash” on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at noon in the Main Fountain area. The event promises a cheer and stunt rally, themed dancers, a costume contest and other miscellaneous Halloween games and fun. The fourth annual FCC Pumpkin Decorating Contest will take place on Oct. 31. To enter the contest, participants must submit decorated (not carved) pumpkins to the Student Activities Office today before 5 p.m. Judging of the pumpkins will be conducted at noon, and displays should be picked up by 5:00 the same day. The FCC Fall Carnival will take place at Ratcliffe Stadium from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.on Halloween and is considered a “safe alternative” for children for trick-or-treating. Many FCC clubs will participating in this event, and activities include games, food, candy, and more. According to ASG senator Gao Vang, a highlight of the carnival will include an interactive haunted house.
“We worked with the New Media Club on making this haunted house,” said Vang. “We’ll even have a camera that takes your photo when you’re inside getting scared, and the photos will be available for students via email.” Additional festivities will include classic carnival games such as bowling, a shooting gallery, and even face painting. Student Activities is still taking candy donations for the Fall Carnival in their office until 5 p.m. on Oct.30 . The local radio station 105.1 The Blaze is hosting “The Blaze Halloween Bash 2013” on Thursday, Oct.31 at Fulton 55 at 9 p.m. The entrance cost is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The event will feature live music from Motley Crue tribute band “With Motley Too,” all-female Led Zepplin tribute band “Lady Zep” and “Lords of this World” among others. This is a 21+ event. If you enjoy everything zombie related, you’ll really enjoy Fresno’s first organized “Zombie Survival Laser Tag” sponsored by The Artourage and the Fresno Zombie Society. The event will take place at No Surrender Laser Tag located on 5179 N. Blackstone Ave. and costs $20. There is no specific starting time, it is simply “open at dark.” If you can’t make it out on Halloween night, you can still experience the event until Nov.3. l TWITTER.COM/ELBTHEHERO
BY YOLANDA GARZON
Reporter ygarzon@therampageonline.com
Halloween is the season to get creative with a scary or entertaining costume. Some choose to buy their costume while others decide to make their own. Costumes can be expensive; prices depend on how accessorized or realistic you want it. These are some do-it-yourself ideas on how to make amazing and unique outfits without breaking the bank. The Great Gatsby - If you are a guy or a gal that absolutely loved this film when it was released earlier this year, then why not dress up as Jay or Daisy? For men, how about a nice suit with the signature hairstyle and a fedora? For those “flappers,” a dress, a feathery, silver head band and white pearls will complete a look. Miley Cyrus - After her famous performance at the MTV Video music Awards, Miley is a celeb to consider, especially for fans. For this you need a nude colored swimsuit, hair in two buns on the left and right side of your head and a foam finger. Breaking Bad - With the popular AMC series ending last month, many fans will want to show their fanaticism by dressing up as Walter White. Slacks, a plaid shirt, a jacket and round glasses are required. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - How about one of popular culture’s famous celebrity couples? Grab a friend or your significant other for the “Kimye” costume. To look like Kanye,
you will need a pair of ”blinds” shades as the rapper is seen in, a blazer and baggy jeans. The Kim Kardashian look requires a “blowout” hairstyle. Keep in mind she has dark hair, an oversized purse and a pair of stilettos. For a complete look, finish with a baby doll as baby North West and fellow friends can join in with cameras as paparazzis. “Despicable Me” Minion- For those that love the funnier side of Halloween, the Despicable Me ‘Minions” are a great option. The little yellow characters from the popular animated film are a favorite among fans. The minion can made for women with a yellow long sleeve top, an overall denim dress, black gloves, black shoes and goggles. Another idea based on items that may be in your closet are characters from “Grease.” Men can look like Danny Zuko with a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket. Remember to slick back your hair and to add plenty of hair gel. Since Danny can’t be complete without Sandy, for women this look requires black leggings, a black off-the-shoulder top, red heels and a leather jacket. Don’t forget the curls! These are some of the many ideas that can be done for this Halloween. Choosing will be the hard part with many options available. The point is to have a fun, entertaining and safe Halloween. l TWITTER.COM/X_WHATSERNAME_X
THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 10.30.2013
OPINION
11
Graduation: Is it worth the walk?
BY AIDYL MOLINA
Reporter amolina@therampageonline.com
As the Dec. 13 deadline to apply for fall graduation draws near, students must consider whether participating in college graduation ceremonies is worth it. Although graduation is a symbolic event, the premise of recognizing each individual’s honor in academic achievement is nearly void in the grandeur of this ceremony. After a long uphill battle to reach such a pivotal point in education, the invitation to walk across the stage to receive a fake diploma is anticlimactic. Graduating students deserve a sense of unique gratification; they aren’t workers following procedures in an assembly line which is exactly what the ceremony epitomizes. Even with the exception of students with distinguished titles, the
graduation cords atop the academic regalia are hardly an excuse for excitement. Moreover, this system of distinguishing high caliber students is a zero-sum game. A recognizable gain for high-achieving counterparts is a loss to those who have just fulfilled the requirements to earn their degrees. Not everyone is seen evenly: one’s fame comes from another’s shame. It is mind boggling what ephemeral joy exists in such a time-consuming event. One has to wonder who the program is dedicated to - the average student or the more accomplished? Speakers of high stature articulate their wisdom and congratulatory remarks which constitute half the program. The other half is about taking part in a spectacle, a myriad of profusely sweating graduates. And in that long-awaited moment of walking across the stage, we receive a fake diploma and shake the hands of people we probably have never met before. In this glimpse of time, we cannot even be too certain whether the attention of a roaring crowd belongs to us or to a different person. It’s tedious, but what about the costs surrounding attendance? Caps and gowns, for example, are not free, but are nevertheless required. How about professional photographs, memorabilia- just like the mugs from high school graduation? Is there an
Make some friends, kids
BY PATRICK FORREST
Arts & Entertainment Editor pforrest@therampageonline.com
We as college students have an incredible opportunity to build connections now that can catapult us forward for the rest of our lives. College is a time that we should use to test ourselves. Not only mentally, but also socially. The next time you have the opportunity to meet someone new, take the chance, because the risk doesn’t come close to the possible reward. Getting ahead in life can be as much about who you know as what you know, and many Fresno City College students are passing up the opportunity to make what could be longlasting and important relationships. The social aspect of college is often tossed aside and looked at as simply immature partying. But it is not only more important than that, it actually serves a very important part in making us well-rounded people. It is true that the reason that many of us attend college is to get a degree and move along the path to a
rewarding career. But alongside that degree, one of the most important things that can be acquired is the relationship of likeminded individuals who can help you by looking for jobs or being references on an application. Friends can help you scout out positions and true friends will let you know about an opening that you might be able to get. Not only can the professional relationships become an enormous benefit in the hopefully not-so-distant future, but what could possibly be wrong with making new friends? The different kinds of people that you can meet on a campus as diverse as Fresno City College is incredible. The interest, talents and cultures are so diverse that you can learn so many different things from your classmates right here on campus. Yet if you walk around campus on a daily basis, you will see many of the same faces in the same places. The routines that have begun around campus are discouraging only because it shows that we as students have found a comfort zone and have refused to move from it. That’s not to say that there isn’t a place for staying in your comfort zone. But leaving this zone on occasion and testing yourself can be hugely beneficial. People are resources, and so are people skills. The ability to stop, talk and create a rapport with another person is close to invaluable and is considered in just about any field that you could get into. l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8
impulse to purchase new clothes or shoes? And when it is all said and done, do the expenses stop there or do we have graduation dinner lined up? Surely these costs can be minimized or even covered by somebody else. So here’s a perspective to consider: the human construct of tradi-
tion. Educational facilities encourage graduation as a rite of passage. It’s embedded institutionally and it has become a part of our culture. Herein lies the level of effort we’ve expended in years of achieving a spectra of grades. The amount of blood, sweat and tears positively correlates with the intensity of gratification we receive on gradu-
ation day. So do we think that the extravagance of this spectacle equates to the odyssey of our undergraduate years? Some would deem it as an understatement and others an overstatement. My point is to keep a practical mind in terms of the demands of any given event. This involves some preparatory thinking so that we become proactive about our decisions. There are foreseeable shortcomings, but these make subjective reasoning all the more important. It’s the same practice as joining or declining an event on Facebook. It makes a difference to know if close friends are going, whether we have the budget to get a costume (if necessary) or not, the locality, and why it is in our desire and interest to go. If it’s at the brim of reason in a tangible sense, ask yourself whether the graduation ceremony provides closure to a weighty experience or if the tradition can be overlooked without regret. Graduation is a passage towards something much bigger. The question that graduating students should ask is if their time, financial situation and social instinct coincide with their own accord to attend this ceremonial event. Consider the meaningful aspects of a graduation rather than its superficial f lamboyance because depth makes experiences valuable and memorable. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE
Simple test-taking tips
BY DAISY MARTINEZ
Reporter dmartinez@therampageonline.com
Going to school isn’t just about sitting in a class and taking notes. You are to be tested throughout the semester. Doing well on those tests might be a challenge for some. Here are some tips to help. Taking notes is important to keep up with the class lecture and can be a compliment to your study guide. Reading the required chapters in advance for class lectures can help you better understand the lecture. As you read the chapters in your textbook, prepare questions that can help you understand each chapter better. Don’t highlight the entire book. Sometimes we find ourselves highlighting more than we need to. You can gather with other students for group studies and see how much you can benefit from that. Everyone learns differently, and sometimes going over material with others can help you have a better understanding of it.
Meet with your professor and ask questions about your reading and lectures. Your professor can find easier ways to explain topics when it’s one on one. If you don’t have time to meet with them, send them emails. You can always seek help at the Tutorial Center in the Library. You can get help from students who have taken that course and aced it. You should go to class prepared not only the day of the test but every day. Don’t forget to have the materials ready for the test. Make sure you know what’s allowed the day of the test. Some professors allow notes or open book tests. If you happen to forget your Scantron or pencil, you will lose test time walking out of class to go buy one. Make sure you have everything ready the night before. Try not to panic about the test. Stay relaxed and remind yourself you will do well. Panicking over a test you have not seen will not let you concentrate. Read the directions carefully and avoid errors on your Scantron like marking the letter you didn’t mean to mark. Sometimes reading things carefully earns you more points in the end. Always answer the easiest questions first and eliminate obvious incorrect answers. When it’s an essay test, have an outline of your answer in a sequence of points. After you go back to answer the hardest questions, review the test once more. You might find that some answers weren’t the best, but turn your test in when you feel you did your best. l TWITTER.COM/FLOWERDAZY
12
OPINION
Campus Voices
What do you appreciate most about Fresno City College?
Brandon White Welding “Price-wise, $17 to park is a lot better than $135.”
Nicole Kellogg Psychology “The DSP&S program ... it helps a lot.”
Gina Barkman Child Development “The teachers. The majority are very supportive, they’re good listeners.”
Miguel Oropeza Business Management “Tutorial Center, they can help you if you’re struggling.”
WRITTEN BY: YOLANDA GARZON PHOTOGRAPHED BY: DAVID BENNETT
10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
FCC STUDENTS: LAST2KNOW BY RAMPAGE EDITORIAL BOARD editorial@therampageonline.com
On Oct. 14, a shooting occurred in Parking Lot E of the Fresno City College campus, harming no one but shattering windows of the Greenhouse and a vehicle parked nearby. Glass was not the only thing broken, however. Following the unnerving event, the response of inaction by the campus police and college administration has eroded whatever confidence the college community has in emergency safety plans, creating an urgency in developing a viable plan. While there is no consensus on whether the campus should have been on a lockdown order or not, everyone agrees that the alert system is either inadequate or a complete failure. Staff were not notified of the event until about an hour later, and students received an email alert later as well. The “1st2Know” alert system has not lived up to its promise as many who signed up for the program have still not received the text notification, even two weeks later. The campus police has borne the brunt of the blame for mishandling of the shooting and is moving quickly to institute a new emergency alert protocol and training sessions. Yet more is needed, not only from the police, but from the college leaders as well. Specifically, what is the college doing to guarantee that the debacle of Oct. 14 will never happen again? What about educating students? Shouldn’t the administration take proactive measures to get students prepared for emergencies? What happened on Oct. 14 is disturbing on many levels. In this post Virginia Tech world, how could a college campus serving more than 20,000 students not have a viable safety plan and alert system? During the forum on Oct. 16, instructors spoke about their uncertainties, about not knowing what to do, about waiting for directions that never came and about their fear for themselves and their students. Should they have locked the classroom doors or left the doors
open, knowing that either decision could have severe consequences? In the absence of information from the proper channels, most FCC students who were on campus at the time of the shooting found out about it from frantic relatives and friends checking to confirm they were OK. We had to rely on social media to
provide information that our college should have made available to us as soon as the shooting occurred. At the open forum held on Oct. 16 in the Auditorium of the OAB, Police Chief Bruce Hartman answered questions and provided explanations to frustrated inquisitors about a flaw in communication between students, administrators and campus police. Hartman did not lose his patience at all. He should not be the scapegoat for the mistake of an entire system. There is enough criticism to go around. But enough about blame, we need to focus on solutions. A good start would be ensuring that the several communication systems used for potential emergencies -- Informacast, Datatel and SingleWire -- are all in sync with each other and will accomplish the college’s safety goals.
While Datatel deals with the “1st2Know” text messages and emails as well as other school-related electronic services, Informacast controls the web-based email system and SingleWire is for the phone and campuswide speakers system. Although text messages were eventually sent out to students (not all who signed up received them), the “1st2Know” system failed because the preset messages ready to be sent to those signed up did not include options that accurately described the shooting situation. The Police Department chose instead to create a new option that related the incident of a school shooting with no active threat by a gunman. Another step is to make sure that crucial information is not withheld in the future. Police Lt. Gaines stated that the police did not feel the situation necessitated an immediate text message to those signed up. How could gunshots in a parking lot in close proximity to the center of campus not necessitate immediate notification? If gunshots during the busiest period on an open campus are not enough, what will be? This situation may be complexas school shootings in modern times always are- but it does not mean that there are no solutions. The recent active shooter training sessions by the SCCCD Police are a move in the right direction. At least the sessions are empowering. We can finally begin to feel like we’re learning how to help ourselves in emergencies. If nothing else, the Oct. 14 incident is a learning experience for all involved. For administrators, it is about coming up with a concrete plan to handle situations like this. If it happens once, the door is already opened for it to happen again. This is a chance to educate the whole campus on safety, including situations that may happen beyond the walls of the FCC campus. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE
THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 10.30.2013
OPINION
IS SOCIAL MEDIA DESTROYING OUR SOCIAL LIFE?
PRO
BY LOREN DANIELS
Reporter ldaniels@therampageonline.com
When was the last time you set an alarm to get up and watch the sunrise? Do you still enjoy camping as much as you used to as a child, before the years would come when you’d be pained to part from your mobile phone or laptop - for even five minutes? You probably could, if you aren’t busy wasting your time being distracted by Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” music video or other social media trands. But let me explain why it’s gotten easier for social media to become the major aspect of your social life in the last decade alone - while I still have your attention. With the sudden interest in online dating sites like Zoosk and the rising attraction of social profile sites like Twitter and Facebook, we are finding more efficient methods of maintaining focus on everyday activities quicker, while the attention span we need to process these things, in reality, has grown shorter. We are adjusting to a rewiring in our brains that is constantly dependent on information we input to adapt to our rapidly-adjusting, fastpaced lives. And this is not a good thing. Ten years ago, we could sit down and read a book and not be distracted for at least fifteen minutes. A 2013 empirical study by the information website Statistic Brain verifies that last year, Americans averaged an attention span of 8 seconds. Our attention spans are limited and it is bringing into account effects that could be difficult to reverse. In fact, studies show that a certain amount of pleasure arises from accessing and participating in social media websites. Current research is being conducted to determine which triggers are in charge of the release of adrenaline, an addictive hormone, in the body as a result of social media activity. Researchers at Harvard University learned through a particular study that the act of sharing personal information with people stimulates the same part of the brain associated with pleasure - similar to the pleasure experienced when eating food or even having sex. Now the days are here where the only reason kids are rushing home is
to take selfies in their bathrooms to upload to Instagram and to be doubletapped by their friends. More often than not, mommy and daddy are probably unaware of their childrens’ online lifestyle. Facebook, the ultimate social deterrent, wants to know every member in your family, asks you to tag your presumably antisocial significant other and suggests you send a friend request to your 13-year-old cousin. What we used to call personal diaries, we now use as blogs which expose our entire personal lives to the world through the accessibility of a website’s link. There is also the issue of the roles social media plays in relationships. According to provisional research focusing on divorce trends in the U.S. during the last ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that divorces rates had declined between the years 2001-2011. Even though divorces may be on the decline, it does seems like relationships aren’t lasting as long. A lot of times, we can trace this back to the destructive forces of social media. We all know those couples who fight online and air each other’s personal information out to dry. It isn’t necessarily surprising when their relationship status changes
to “single” a week later. If you’re like me, you remember simpler times when you didn’t get stressed over waiting for a person to respond to a particularly urgent message. You remember a time before text messages and screenshots of autocorrect fails. You remember being a kid and rushing home to the television before your parents could get home to scold you for watching cartoons instead of doing your homework. So quickly we forget the importance of writing down or memorizing phone numbers and addresses the instant we store it to a cell phone’s contact list. Only on that unfortunate night when we’re caught in the rain and the phone’s battery dies will we realize the slaves we’ve been to technology. When we’re beating ourselves up for having someone’s Facebook profile, but not their phone number, we will realize how social media has ruined our social lives. l TWITTER.COM/LORENBOBOREN
CON
BY PATRICK FORREST
Arts & Entertainment Editor pforrest@therampageonline.com
Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have not made us worse at communicating but have changed how and where we communicate. Social media in moderation can actually improve our lives and give us more contact with the people that are around us. Facebook, for instance, has a mission which states that the company wants to “give people the power to share and make the world more
open and connected.” It succeeds at that mission. Never before has information been so readily available. Never before has it been easier to get in touch with another person and never before has it been easier to maintain contact with another person. Social networks have provided us the opportunity to connect with people and build better relationships with friends whom we are unable to meet with personally. This allows us to be in contact with so many more people than we ever would be able to in our normal lives. Before social media existed, your social circle was limited largely to people that you knew in person. But today, you can interact with people from all around the world. This gives you the opportunity to share opinions with a much wider range of people. This is usually why you can find people who have thousands of Facebook friends. They would never have that many friends if they had to interact with each of them in person.
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Before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype, texting or cell phones, general communication was much more difficult. The only way you would have been able to talk with someone was to actually see the person, or be lucky enough to have them be free enough to answer a phone call. It may seem quite simple, but there are actually a lot of little things that had to happen for this exchange of information to take place. Your schedules had to line up and you needed the person that you wanted to speak with to be free at the same time you were or else you wouldn’t get to talk. It gets even worse if you want to get a message out to a large group of people. Now you can simply type up your message and send it away in a matter of seconds. The other person knows exactly what you needed them to do, no matter where they are or what they are doing. The amount of work that it takes now to get a message out to thousands of people is just a simple push of the send button. But social media has even more of an effect on our lives than just communication. It also allows us to get opinions and and form groups in ways that would have been completely unheard of in the past. Before, you could always have written a letter to the local newspaper or even could have bought the time on a television station. But these were still controlled by that newspaper or television station. That meant that if they didn’t like what you had to say they could prevent you from saying it. Nowadays, you can use social media to get your uncensored message out to thousands or even millions of people. All you need is a laptop, tablet or cell phone with an Internet connection and it is likely that you won’t ever be forced to lose contact with the people that you care about. Also, it’s not like social media is the first thing that has been blamed for the downfall of civilization. Television, video games, movies and music have all had turns as the reason people treat each other worse than in yesteryears. Now do these social media sites have downfalls? Of course they do. They have possibly made us much worse spellers and have begun almost an entirely new language filled with abbreviations and shorthand. With people that do not understand or do not keep up with the latest abbreviations it can make communication more difficult. We will all soon have to learn the language of the future that will unfortunately be filled with “ilys,” “omgs” and “c u tmrws.” The world of communication is changing, and we must accept that this is something that comes with the changing of the times. Technology can only make our lives easier if we fully allow it into our lives. Social media has not made us worse at talking face-to-face but it has made us need face-to-face communication less and less. And that’s not entirely a bad thing. l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8
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OPINION
Staying safe on the Internet
BY VICTOR APARICIO
Production Manager vaparicio@therampageonline.com
The Internet seems to have taken over our social lives instead of helping us stay connected with friends. Just like the real world, if we’re not careful who we share our lives with, they will abuse it for personal gain. Simply telling your friends that you’re at an awesome club or out of town having a good time will have that jealous ex refreshing your profile page or a robber looking through local newsfeed clicking on your name. The pictures you post can be dangerous, too. Details like your license plate, address or demeaning pictures should be cropped out or stay between friends, away from people who can use that information against you. The same goes for speaking your mind. When you’re out with your friends, it’s natural to secretly whisper how you feel about others. But in social media, we feel protected behind a computer screen to say whatever we please. Posting anything passive-
10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
aggressive or too intense could be seen by that one person you don’t want to see, or even a future employer. These situations are worst-case scenarios, but why be ingenuous with your personal life online when you’re much more careful in the real world? Simply changing your attitude toward your favorite websites means being safer and making sure what you say only gets to the people you want to hear you. On Facebook, it’s easy to change your privacy settings. On top of any page to the right is a privacy menu, which is opened by clicking on the lock icon. From there you can change basic options like “who can see my stuff” and “who can contact me.” It’s best to go into these settings and change most options to “friends only,” leaving only your profile picture and your name to “friends of friends” or “public” so people you are not friends with can find you. The same should be applied to other sites. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have fun chatting and sharing with your friends, but would you really share drunk escapades with anyone who walked by, or tell a stranger that you’re going to a show tonight? The Internet shouldn’t be any different. All social media sites now carry the same notion of everything being about you. It’s changing what’s appropriate. The same effect is what makes people use these sites inappropriately. So it’s up to you to keep weirdos from watching your house from a bush. l TWITTER.COM/VICTORKID
What is Beauty?
BY BRANDALYN HASTINGS
Reporter bhastings@therampageonline.com
In our culture, we emphasize physical beauty. It gains privilege; it attracts attention, and at first glance, it’s exalted above the person who lives behind it. It’s silly to me that we esteem something so temporary. Our faces are all going to sport wrinkles one day, and when our life has passed, our bodies will be nothing but a bag of bones. We’ll all look the same. But beauty is powerful, and we exalt it because of the way it moves our souls. Nancy Etcoff, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School who has conducted research on the perception of beauty, states, “Beauty draws us in. We can’t stop looking or listening or touching. It takes us outside ourselves and it motivates us. It’s essential to life and to happiness.” I think we can all agree that beauty is “essential to life and happiness.”
But that begs the question, “What is beauty?” Is it what the magazines promote, or is it much deeper and more inclusive than we realize? Beauty, by its definition, is the quality about us that gives pleasure to the people around us, but the key is that it is in truthfulness and originality that we express it best. The measure of beauty that you carry is in direct proportion with how truthfully you are yourself, and how boldly you express that. You’re beautiful when you’re you, because the combination of who you are is distinctly original. When you’re truthful about who that is, your originality creates beauty. The way we look is inflicted by blemishes, weight, health issues, even by the amount of sleep we get, and the list goes on and on. You will never be able to meet a certain standard of physical beauty every day of your life; nature does not permit it. But nature cannot define how you think, what you believe or your likes and dislikes. These things, though they will grow and develop, are not temporary. Be truthful about who you are, in body and heart. Take pleasure in your physical form though it’s “imperfect.” Take pleasure in the kinks and bends of your personality, though they may not fit into a social box. Let’s embrace who we are and let the world see what it’s never seen, something original, something real. l TWITTER.COM/BRANDALYNJANAE
THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 10.30.2013
SPORTS
Football back on track after homecoming win BY KEAUNDREY CLARK
Reporter kclark@therampageonline.com
The Fresno City College Rams football team beat the Wolverines of Sierra College 27- 24. After starting the season 3-0, losing to NorCal No.4 ranked San Francisco City College 61-0 and No.6 Santa Rosa 30-27. Returning home for their homecoming game was especially big for the Rams versus No. 9 Sierra for their first conference game of the season . FCC opened the game with a 44-yard reception to Kevin Beckwith from Marcus Montero. Montero would end the drive with a 1-yard touchdown rush. FCC was sluggish the rest of the half getting two field goals by Quentin Breshears before halftime. “We started off slow in the first half, played soft but we came back and kept fighting,” said head coach Tony Caviglia. FCC’s slow start continued on through the second half, going three possessions without a score until freshman running back Errian Wingfield got into the endzone in the third quarter. Wingfield finished with 84 yards from 19 carries and one touchdown. FCC was leading on the
yard line, Sierra would go on to score. FCC needed to make a play and he did. Montero went 4-5 for 64 yards and drove the ball down, giving FCC and their entire season life. Montero was big in the end with the seven-play drive, ending with a 6-yard touchDakota Gordon (33) sheds a Sierra College player and crosses the goal line dur- down pass to Daing Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2013 at Ratcliffe Stadium. Photo/David kota Gordon in Bennett the four quarter. With the scoreboard heading into the been through this before and fourth quarter 20-17, then the we stopped them,” said line- lead in hand, FCC needed their defense to make a play and tide turned as FCC drove down backer Issac Sarate. the field for another score The following posses- they did with an interception and virtually ended the game. sion, FCC tried to burn some by sophomore defensive back They were penalized 5 yards time off the clock, getting the Gerald Nutt to seal the victory on a false start call. ball to midfield. Then disas- for FCC. “ We were aiming to Then Montero was ter struck as Montero threw sacked twice for a 6 and 11- the ball into Sierra defensive make a play all night, I saw yard loss, and freshman run- back Michael Saulter’s hand the ball in the air and made a ning back Micah Ledezma was and Saulter raced 45 for a play,” said Nutt. FCC went on the road stopped for a 3-yard loss. touchdown. FCC lined up to punt the But the score was over- and faced nationally-ranked ball and the snap was high and turned as Saulter was penal- No.3 American River College Brayden Sanchez ran back 39 ized for unsportsmanlike con- in Sacramento, coming up yards to recover the punt giv- duct. As he reached the yard short 31-7. FCC’s lone score came ing Sierra the ball on FCC’s 22 10-yard line, he started showfrom Errian Wingfield, a 10yard line. Sierra would go on boating and high-stepping. to miss a 32-yard field goal. So the touchdown was yard touchdown in the third “Heart, thats all heart taken away. Yet Sierra was quarter. man, we stick together, we’ve
given the ball at the FCC 25-
l TWITTER.COM/SLOCUM13
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Coach’s corner Athletic Director
Rhonda Williams
Photo/Darlene Wendels BY KEAUNDREY CLARK
Reporter kclark@therampageonline.com
This is Rhonda Williams advice for students looking to create or obtain a healthy lifestyle. •
• •
• • •
“Workout as much as you can, even when you only have a little amount of time.” “Dieting is really up to the individual, stay away from bad foods.” “Even though fast food is cheaper and more convenient, fast food restaurants aren’t the healthiest thing out there.” “Eliminate all sodas and sugar filled drinks.” “Drink water throughout the day.” “Eating fruits and vegetables.“ l TWITTER.COM/SLOCUM13
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SPORTS
10.30.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM
Volleyball’s head coach reaches 150th victory
Katie Lowe (6) spikes the ball over waiting defenders Friday, Oct. 16, 2013 during the game vs West Hills City College in the FCC Gymnasium. Photo/David Bennett BY KEAUNDREY CLARK
Reporter kclark@therampageonline.com
Volleyball Coach Tracy Ainger-Schulte earned her 150th victory at Fresno City College with a win over Merced College on Oct. 11, making her one of the most successful coaches in the state. Her total of wins surely puts her at the top of the list at FCC. Her path to FCC has been full of success. After graduating from Reedley High School, she won three Golden State Athletic conference titles at Fresno Pacific University and helped lead FPU to two National As-
sociation of Intercollegiate Athletics Final Four. AingerSchulte was also named an NAIA First Team All-American. In 2003, she was named American Volleyball Coaches Association and NAIA National player of the year. Since 2007, she has led FCC to six consecutive Central Valley Conference championships, finishing as high a third in the state. “I’m always amazed that people can keep track of that. I can count more of my losses than wins, but I think it’s a testament to the coaches and players I’ve had in my seven years at FCC.
It’s definitely been a group effort.” Ainger-Schulte’s impact with her players on and off the court is what makes her job ultimately worthwhile. “If I haven’t had a positive effect on them, I’m in the wrong profession, and not in this job for the right reasons,” she said. The FCC women’s volleyball team is streaking right now with an 8-0 record in the Central Valley Conference and a 15-4 record overall. Ranked No. 7 in NorCal, they have swept every team they have faced in conference play so far.
“We came out a little slow in our last match (Merced College, FCC won 3-0), but we’ve had a good week of practice and we are looking to clean a few things up in this match-up,” she said. FCC dominated West Hills College in a Central Valley Conference matchup on Oct. 16 with three sets to zero. Brittany Black led FCC with nine kills, Sophomore Morgan Dose finished with seven. FCC continued to cruise past the competition with another sweep against Taft College on Oct. 18 and College of the Sequoias on Oct. 23.
Women’s basketball off-court throwdown
FCC stats against Taft College are 25-12, 25-14 ,2518. Morgan Dose finished with 10 kills, Valarie Gobby, Brittany Black, and Katie Low all finished with six kills. The team has survived a tough out-of-conference schedule and have taken a few losses against American River, Foothill and Cabrillo College, but these challenges have helped them in conference play. “So far we’re handling things in conference, we’re playing our best volleyball right now.” l TWITTER.COM/SLOCUM13
BY JERE KIRKLAND
Sports Editor jkirkland@therampageonline.com
The Fresno City College women’s basketball team held its 7th Annual Dinner Dance fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 26. “The dinner dance is to draw people in to gain attendance at our games and kind of get them to see the girls outside of basketball,” said head coach Brian Tessler. “It’s our final fundraiser and probably biggest fundraiser of the year.” The event began with head coach Brian Tessler introducing the entire team and coaching staff along with their spouses. “The night was good, we all got to dress up and spend time together
Photos/Darlene Wendels
outside of the gym,” said sophomore post Leslie Ahlenslanger. The fundraiser is a tool to let the local supporters of the program have time to interact with the team as well as show their support by bidding on multiple items ranging from cupcakes to week-long vacations in a private cabin on the beach. A cabin in the Wine Country, along with wine tastings, was auctioned for $1,100. “This year, everyone had a lot more energy and were willing to bid,” said former FCC women’s basketball player Kayla Clement, “so it was very successful.”
l TWITTER.COM/JEREKIRKLAND